Ci's Shanjiu Inspiration
Jeroy, Sakura, Ci, Cassio, Ember, Pearl, and Amon have gathered at Shanjiu keep for a meal on the evening before a mission for the Magistery. Their talk expectedly centers around their missing friends, and the mood around the table is dark with worry. Ci, who has been even more quiet than usual has been examining a roasted potato on his plate for most of his meal.
Ember suddenly turns and says, “Ci, what do you think? What fate has befallen our friends?”
“It actually of fate that I have been thinking.” Ci replies quietly. “Do you see this potato? The farmer who grew this, lives a half a day’s journey from the Keep. When he drops off his produce every month or so, he always has a great smile on his face and a kind word for all he meets. On one such visit I overheard some of the servants here calling him ‘Unlucky Liam’, and clucking under their breath about his great misfortune and dubious state of mind. When next he returned, I asked the farmer what tragedy he has seen to be called so.”
“Liam began to tell his tale to me. As a young farmer, he struggled to make ends meet. One day after years of saving he managed to buy a horse to help transport hi crop, The day after he bought it, that horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit. ‘Such bad luck,’ they said sympathetically. ‘May be,’ Liam had replied.”
‘The next morning the when he rose , he found the horse had horse returned. In fact during it's night in countryside, it had met three other horses, and brought them home with him. ‘How wonderful!' the neighbors exclaimed. ‘May be,’ replied the farmer."
“A few days later, Liam’s son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, and was thrown, He broke his leg so badly he thought he might never walk normally again. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune. ‘May be,’ answered the farmer.”
"A few years later, a vicious mercenary band appeared at the farm. This band was well known to draft all available young men into their ranks, by force if necessary. Seeing that the farmer's son was lame, and the farmer himself was bent from the work of running the farm on his own, they passed them by. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out. "May be," said Liam."
“Liam went on for a quite a time, telling stories of great fortune, and for each was an equally great misfortune that he had endured” Ci recounted. “When Liam finished, I thanked him for his tales, and sent him on his way with my friendship. He left as happy as he had been when he first came, and one could hear him whistling as his cart passed on down the road toward his home.”
With that, Ci went back to studying his potato. After a few moments, when it became clear that Ci was not going to speak again, Jeroy spoke up in obvious consternation: “Well!?! What is is we are supposed to learn from that, Ci? That things will always work out in the end? That we can never know what fate has in store? What!??!”
Ci, looked up again, as if startled from a dream and said, “Friend Jeroy I am afraid I have no idea. I know not where all paths leads, only that I must follow them. I was just thinking however, if that poor unlucky farmer can whistle his way through this world, surely I can go on another day with faith in my friends.”
Recollections by Amon
Recollections by Cassio
Recollections by Ci
I write these quick notes in the early morning from a hasty campsite in the frigid wastes near Frostgorge Sound. Later today, we will step into the icy unknown, so before we rush again headlong into danger, I wanted to get a few notes down about what brought us here. It all began yesterday morning when a mysterious figure approached us at the Keep while we were training. After confirming that we were a part of the group that had faced Imphraezl at Fort Malto, and survived, this stranger identified himself as Wizard named Steel. He stated that he had been sent to find us by a Seer. This [[Seer believed that we were destined to avert a terrible alliance between giants. Steel also told us that doing us would bring us closer to our goal of finding Imphraezl, though he was unsure how exactly that would be achieved. Feeling confident that Steel at least believed that he was telling us the truth, and hopeful at the prospect of finding Imphraezl again, we accepted his offer of transportation to Frostlands.
Steel's help came in the form of a Teleport spell that immediately transported us to a nearly featureless landscape of ice and snow. The wizard Steel then informed us that this was the anticipated location of a meeting between two giant kings, one of a clan of Stone Giants, the other of a clan of Frost Giants. Obviously, this alliance would be devastating for this region, and it was for this reason that the Seer had Steel seek us out. We knew precious little of the specifics, other than when, where, and who would be meeting, and thus after some short discussion we ruled out a diplomatic solution, It seemed the only sure way to prevent this alliance was to eliminate the parties when they arrived to negotiate. Steel's intelligence suggested that this would mean facing 10 giants and their respective Kings in less than 24 hours, a prospect that gave even brave Cassio pause.
In order to gain any advantage possible, Ember and I, being the fastest in this terrain, left to each scout one of the approaching parties while the others stayed to prepare the battlefield, with Steel's help. [[Steel it turns out, is Wizard of some considerable talent, and his help would be invaluable in the coming battle, though less so than we originally anticipated. When Ember and I returned with useful information we barely had time to form a plan and prepare ourselves.
As the giants approached, we had hidden ourselves behind some illusory terrain at the center of the meeting spot. We sprang from hiding and attacked before the Giants were aware of our presence. I had been able to spy a weak spot in the armor of one of the Frost Giant King's retinue, and was able to pierce his heart with an arrow from my Siyah killing him instantly. Ember had identified a Stone Giant with a previous wound, and was able to target that wound with a fire bolt, taking him out of the fight immediately as well. The others focused on luring as many of the Stone Giants as we could into pit traps that we had dug about the area and covered with illusory terrain. In this way were able to trap or eliminate 7 of the giants before they could respond. Steel also proved his power by casting Disintegrate at the Frost Giant King and nearly destroying him outright. Though the sight of his grievous wounds beginning to heal almost immediately was our first hint that our well laid plans might not be enough. The second happened not long after when The Stone Giant King reached out gently and touched [{Steel]] turning him immediately to stone and then picking him up and sticking him to his body! We had focused on taking out as many of the Stone Giants as possible, reasoning that the Frost Giants would be easier targets as they were vulnerable to our ample fire magic. We did not anticipate our wizard Steel being so quickly and so permanently being taken out the battle.
However we fought on, with the Divine power of Cassio flowing freely, with Jeroy's soulmate digging great gouges into Giant flesh with our casters raining fire and thorns upon the giants formations all the while offering healing where able, and I moved about, burying arrows into huge targets and attempting to stay out of reach of their huge axes and clubs. Garnet fluttered about spewing great gouts of flame, while the giants hurled boulders around the battlefield with abandon. one even managed to grab and throw Pearl when she got to close to one, nearly taking out both her and Ember with one toss! Cassio nearly fell time and again, only to be healed, while the Frost Giant King, under some enchantment of Necromancy, did indeed fall and rise again many times.
We were finally able to kill both kings and and the remaining free giants on the battlefield. Ember was able to restore Steel to the flesh, and we began to discuss what to do with the giants trapped in our pits. At this moment, a giant red dragon appeared and seared the entire area with his breath of fiery doom. While Steel was able to shield us from the blast, but the trapped giants, as was the dragon's intention, died violently in the conflagration. The dragon gave his thanks for killing the rest of the giants (I gathered there is no love lost between these monsters) and flew away. As he departed however he used his breath to uncover another patch of snow in the distance, apparently as a final thank you. Steel supposed this would be where we might find our answers to the Imphraezl mystery, and so we resolved to find out what the strange draconic visitor uncovered, but only after some well needed rest. So we rest. What tomorrow brings I cannot hope to guess, as today has been wholly unexpected and strange. I know however that I will face it with with my friends, and that with faith and luck we may yet prevail.
Recollections by Ember
Recollections by Jeroy
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We sit around our camp on a frozen and barren plane.
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Beside us is a gaping hole, burned into the ground by an ancient red dragon that nearly killed us along with 6 giants we had trapped.
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Four more dead frost giants are strewn about frozen land
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Two giant kings lay dead, their hearts has been cut our.
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The reason we are here is simple - we were asked to do a favor in exchange for information on someone we seek but how this will end we are unsure.
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Between push-ups I look around our campsite, Ember plays with Gramph. They have earned a more relaxed night than this. Gramph fought bravely and Ember's powerful magic may have saved us all from a Giant King, but not any Giant King - the one that our dear fallen comrade, Jorg, was killed for. Tonight we hope Jorg rests in peace and bestows on us a similar peaceful night sleep. Pearl rests on a bed of leaves and nurses her wounds. During the battle she fought mightly but for a moment allowed herself to get too close to one giant. She was thrown into ember, nearly killing both. Her powerful magic was able to stop multiple giants in their tracks. Without her Cassio may have been killed. He fought bravely, I must tip my Soulmate to him on that. He fights as though someone is watching him - or like many people are watching him. Amon is already asleep. He appears taxed after his first battle with his new fighting style. Cleric works for him but he appeared at times lost on the battlefield. His natural instincts gone, his movements were slightly off-step. As if he was reciting a spell but for the first time. I cannot hold that against him for he fought bravely and he has earned his sleep. Finally there is Ci, scribbling feverously, as if this is his last testament. Though he is a man that seeks inner peace and tranquility it is clear to even a barbarian his mind is never at rest. He fought with honor for his order and should be proud.
We all fought with honor for our Order, the Eternal Order. But our fight is not yet done. As I turn to towards the hole beside us I wonder if we will finally be able to track down the wizard Imphrazel. This time we may have the drop on him, I just hope it is enough.
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